How Two Romanian Men Built a $17K/Month Business from Scratch in Just 2 Years
In 2014, two Romanian men started a side project that would eventually earn them a net profit of $17,000/month. Their journey is a testament to creativity, grit, and leveraging the power of free resources.
Here’s how they went from zero to thriving without any significant investments, followers, or time.
Starting from Nothing
When they began:
- No Investment: They worked for free, using Starbucks as their “office.”
- No Audience: They had zero social media fans or email followers.
- Limited Time: Freelancing full-time just to meet basic living needs.
Despite these challenges, they launched a side project that would change their lives.
The Road to Product-Market Fit
Their journey began with observing a problem:
- The Problem: While building websites for clients, they realized they were repeatedly creating the same design elements.
- The Solution: They created a free UI Kit to streamline the process for themselves and others.
Their Process:
- Launch the Free UI Kit:
- Shared the UI Kit on platforms like Product Hunt and Designer News.
- Resulted in 2,000–3,000 weekly users visiting their website.
- Monetize with a Premium Version:
- Developed a paid version of the UI Kit with more features, pages, and elements.
- Generated $200 per week in revenue by offering added value.
Scaling Post Product-Market Fit
Once they validated the product’s demand, they focused on scaling their operations:
- Create More Free UI Kits:
- Continuously developed and released new free UI Kits to attract users.
- Promote Across Multiple Channels:
- Leveraged platforms such as Hackathons, Affiliate Programs, SEO, Niche Newsletters, Reddit, Product Hunt, Designer News, Hacker News, and Github to spread awareness.
- Use Email Automation:
- Built an automated email sequence to promote the premium paid versions to users who downloaded the free UI Kits.
The Results After 2 Years
Through this structured approach, they achieved:
- $17,000 in monthly net profit.
- A loyal community of users who valued both their free and premium offerings.
Lessons Learned
- Start with a Problem You Know Well: Their insight into repetitive website design tasks helped them identify a clear gap in the market.
- Leverage Free Resources: Offering free tools attracted users and built trust, creating a natural pathway to upsell premium versions.
- Promote Smartly: By using a mix of platforms, they expanded their reach without spending on traditional advertising.
- Automate for Scale: Email sequences allowed them to nurture relationships and drive conversions on autopilot.
What’s Your Takeaway?
If two men can build a thriving business with no capital, no audience, and minimal time, so can you. Focus on solving real problems, leverage free platforms, and scale smartly.
P.S. Special thanks to Alexandru Paduraru for sharing this inspiring story with the community.
Source: freecodecamp.medium.com